Refrigerator Survey Provides Food For Thought

Article
Feb 1, 2003

Refrigerator Survey Provides Food For
Thought

NEWTON, IA It's one of the most-used items in a household yet,
beyond keeping orange juice cold, how do Americans really use their
refrigerators? Do they actually use the crisper compartments for
vegetables? And just how many people use in-door water dispensers
instead of filling up at their kitchen sink?

These were just some of the questions in mind when Amana
officials conducted a nationwide survey aimed at understanding
refrigerator usage. The Newton, IA-based appliance manufacturer
recently released the results of the survey, which revealed that
refrigerators are not just for food storage any more.

In fact, while most people do use their refrigerator for food
storage, a surprisingly large number of surveyed Americans said
they also use the appliance as a message center to communicate with
their family.

"A significant number of people, 34% of those surveyed, use the
outside of Amana refrigerators to communicate important information
to the rest of the family," said Amana brand manager Janel Dufek.
"[In addition], more than half of those questioned responded that
they regularly keep written notes and calendars on the outside of
the refrigerator simply to keep track of [family members'] busy
schedules."

Among the other significant findings of the Amana survey were as
follows:

Batteries, medication and film are the most common non-food
items stored inside refrigerators.
85% of those surveyed report storing foods in the compartments
designated by the manufacturer.
7% of the survey respondents say that they keep items such as
cereal boxes on top of the refrigerator.
72% of the people polled reported not having a water dispenser on
their refrigerator.

Water dispensers that are too small to fill larger or odd-shaped
containers are the greatest source of inconvenience to those
surveyed.
Dispensers that didn't filter the water, or ones that dribbled
water down the front of the refrigerator, were also common
complaints among those surveyed.

Dufek said that Amana officials see a growing trend toward
refrigerators that feature improved water dispensers. Officials
also reported seeing a move toward electronic systems that feature
a built-in voice recording function, allowing household members to
record important messages and eliminate the hassle and clutter of
written
notes.